County of Toulouse

County of Toulouse
*Comitatus Tolosanus* (Latin)
*Comtat de Tolosa* (Occitan)
*Comté de Toulouse* (French)
County of Toulouse Comitatus Tolosanus (Latin); Comtat de Tolosa (Occitan); Comté de Toulouse (French)
778–1271
	Banner of arms of the count of Toulouse Arms of the counts of Toulouse, 13th century
	Languedoc at the beginning of the Albigensian Crusade; Dark Green: Lands belonging to the House of Toulouse; Green: Vassal lands; Yellow: Limits of Trencavel demesne
Capital	Toulouse
Common languages	Medieval Latin; Old Occitan;
Religion	Roman Catholicism (official); Catharism;
Government	Feudal monarchy
Count of Toulouse
• 778–790	Corso
• 1247–1271	Anfós de Peitieus
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Established by Charlemagne	778
• Acquired by the French Kingdom	1271
Currency	Tolosan; Dener; Melgorés; Sol;
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Gothic March
Kingdom of France
Comtat Venaissin
County of Ribagorza
Today part of	France

The County of Toulouse (Occitan: Comtat de Tolosa) was a territory in southern France consisting of the city of Toulouse and its environs, ruled by the Count of Toulouse from the late 9th century until the late 13th century.^[2]

After Pippin the Short conquered Septimania, his successor Charlemagne imposed an administration where Frankish counts were established in key cities such as Toulouse. The first count, Fredelo (appointed by Pippin II) ruled the Toulouse region under the sovereignty of the king of Francia in the 840s. Over time his descendants gained more power over the region compared to their Frankish overlord; by the end of the 9th century, they had gained total independence. Later in the 12th century, the county was affected by the Albigensian Crusade, and by 1229, the Treaty of Paris saw Toulouse formally submitted to the crown of France, ending its independence.

^ "The first known Cross of Toulouse is shown on Count Raimond VI's seal, dated from 1211. Then widely used all over Languedoc, the Cross of Toulouse appeared on the municipal arms of Toulouse and the provincial arms of Languedoc in the 14th century. Pierre Saliès (Archistra, December 1994) claims that the Cross of Toulouse is a modification of the Latin Cross, attributed to Count Raimond VI. In 1099, Raimond VI took part to the reconquest of Jerusalem with the Crusaders. As a Crusaders' chief, Raimond would have adapted a cross slightly different from the Latin Cross bore by the low-rank Crusaders. According to this theory, the edges of the arms of the cross were cut into two pieces and curved. To be fixed on a shield, such a cross required twelve rivets. The design would have progressively evolved towards the Cross of Toulouse." (Ivan Sache, 24 April 2003, crwflags.com)
^ "France". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 8 Oct 2012 [1].

[1] "The first known Cross of Toulouse is shown on Count Raimond VI's seal, dated from 1211. Then widely used all over Languedoc, the Cross of Toulouse appeared on the municipal arms of Toulouse and the provincial arms of Languedoc in the 14th century. Pierre Saliès (Archistra, December 1994) claims that the Cross of Toulouse is a modification of the Latin Cross, attributed to Count Raimond VI. In 1099, Raimond VI took part to the reconquest of Jerusalem with the Crusaders. As a Crusaders' chief, Raimond would have adapted a cross slightly different from the Latin Cross bore by the low-rank Crusaders. According to this theory, the edges of the arms of the cross were cut into two pieces and curved. To be fixed on a shield, such a cross required twelve rivets. The design would have progressively evolved towards the Cross of Toulouse." (Ivan Sache, 24 April 2003, crwflags.com)

[2] "France". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 8 Oct 2012 [1].

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